By Tim Broughton
Back Door Man
On Monday, March 5, at 8:05 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to 1619 Santa Monica Blvd. in order to investigate a report of a man who had been waving a knife at the employee of a local business (victim) and restricting this employee’s access to the business. When the officers arrived at the location they located the suspect at the rear of the building and detained the man while they initiated their investigation. The officers spoke with the victim who said that he had arrived at the business to find that the suspect had apparently forced his way into the property by way of breaking in the rear door and had proceeded to ransack an office that was located inside the building. He added that the suspect had also removed several items from the office. The employee said that he attempted to enter the building but the suspect prohibited him from doing so by standing at the doorway and waving a knife at the employee in a very threatening manner. After hearing the statement by the victim and witnessing the destruction evidently wrought by the suspect upon the office the officers arrested this 21-year-old resident of Moreno Valley and he was later charged with burglary and criminal threats. Bail was set at $50,000.
Caught In Film.
On Tuesday, March 7, at 1:15 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the AMC Movie Theater, located at 1310 Third Street Promenade in response to a complaint from an employee of the business who claimed that a patron had punched him. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with the victim who told them what had happened. The victim said that a man had purchased one ticket to see an (undisclosed) film at the movie theater and after the suspect had entered the theater he had surreptitiously opened a side access door and allowed a companion to enter the movie theater without the required purchase of a ticket, The victim said that he had approached the suspect and had asked to see the tickets of both the suspect and the additional companion and in response the suspect became agitated and punched the victim in the face with a closed fist. The suspect then ran out of the theater. The officers went in search of the suspect and at 2:47 p.m. they spotted a man who fit the description that the victim had given to them. The officers detained the suspect and the victim was called out to identify this suspect. The victim positively identified the man, aged 31 and homeless, and the officers arrested the suspect and he was later charged with battery. Bail was set at $20,000.
Ticket To Ride (To Jail).
On Friday, March 10, at 7:36 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that an assault had just occurred in the 1300 block of Alley Number Three. The officers were told that the victim of the assault was a Santa Monica Police Department Public Service Officer (PSO.) The officers hastened to the scene in order to investigate. When the officers arrived at the location they met with the PSO who pointed the suspect out to them. The suspect at that time was walking away from the scene but the officers speedily approached this suspect and detained him. The officers then spoke with the PSO who said that he had received a call informing him that a large moving truck had been blocking Alley Number Three, thus prohibiting the right of way of other road users. The PSO, after arriving on the scene, was completing a citation when the truck driver returned to the truck. The truck driver attempted to drive away before the PSO had applied the ticket to the windscreen of the truck so the PSO yelled at the driver to stop. The driver, in return, began to yell expletives at the PSO and then threw a cup of hot coffee at the PSO before walking away. This 36-year-old resident of Santa Ana was arrested and charged with battery upon a police official. Bail was set at $20,000.
Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of The Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.
